I purchased the 3 day temple pass, and for another $12 per day, we were driven around for the whole day to visit the temples of Angkor. Our first stop was of course Angkor Wat, which without exaggerating really does take your breath away. The heat was oppressive , but with each new temple and each new layer of sweat, came another tuk tuk ride with it's cooling breeze and a chance to sit back and take it all in. I resisted doing any Angelina Tomb Raider rolls in Angkor Thom (the 'Great City'), but for the most part did feel like I was on the set of a movie.You have to see this place, it's too difficult to describe in words.
After a long hard days templing, and realising I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast (or, weirdly, been to the toilet), Piri took us to our last stop. Feeling hot, tired, thirsty, sweaty and cranky, the words "ökay, now you climb the hill to watch the sunset" didn't exactly sound like music to my ears. Running on empty, we slogged the last of the way up the hill to the final temple. The cloudy sunset may have been a bit of a damp squib, and the jabbering Korean tourists didn't exactly help, but for a few moments and without sounding like a cheeseball, I really did feel like I'd achieved something, and was at the top of the world.
Today was the second day of touring, which we started 55km out of Siem Reap at Beng Mealea. This was breathtaking. An old, crumbling temple which was once used as a hideout for the Khmer Rouge, the surrounding area had only recently been cleared of landmines. We navigated ourselves through the middle of the building, climbing over rocks and crumbling carvings - again, I'm finding it hard to put into words so will upload a million photos ASAP.
Now, to the floating village. I had no idea what to expect at the floating village. I kind of thought it would be a few crappy souvenir stalls on stilts in water, which you maybe had to get to on an antwacky boat with plastic seats. I was so wrong. We took a dirt track down towards the Tonle Sap, the world's largest body of freshwater, but couldn't get through to the marina where the boats normally leave from. So we were taken on a tiny rowing boat, steered by a 7 year old Cambodian kid, through the flooded forest to catch a larger boat on the Tonle Sap. My sense of geography leaves a lot to be desired, but I didn't even realise we were on a lake it was so vast. The floating village of Kompong Phhluk was incredible; an ethereal, other worldly almost out of body experience. This community of hundreds literally lives on water, for me an assault on the senses and imagination.
Another quick temple, and back into Siem Reap to the night market, where I bought 2 t-shirts and a pair of jarg Ray Bans for about a quid. Some Cambodian street food for another dollar, and 20 fags for 20p (not for me), we headed back to the hostel.
After only a week, I'm getting better at being a traveller. I now only anti-bac 10 times an hour instead of 100 times, and have grown quite fond of the lizards that live outside my room. A cockroach jumped on my neck earlier, and I didn't even scream that loud! Still brushing my teeth with mineral water though.
Having originally been headed to Phnom Penh on Saturday, I've just booked another 3 nights here. I bloody love this place.
Love!
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